Supporting and gasketing means for domestic cooking ovens



May 5, 1964 P. J. MORE ETAL SUPPORTING AND GASKET INC MEANS FOR DOMESTICCOOKING OVENS Filed Oct. 22, 1962 H' IH llllllllllllllll ll H 2 P77 ZJIPIIYVZENTORS are flar oZ ci (/Q Wa By M /44,

United States Patent 3 131,684 SUPPORTING AND GASKETING MEAN FGR DOMETICCGOKING ()VENS Philip I. More, Evanston, and Harold A. Walz, MelrosePark, 1111., assignors to General Electric Company, a

corporation of New York Filed 0st. 22, 1962, Ser. No. 231,899 4- Claims.((31. 126-49) This invention relates to cooking ovens, and in particularto an oven mounting means which affords a simplified structure forremovably securing a gasket intended to seal against an inner face ofthe oven door.

It is well known practice in the domestic cooking art to control theflow of air into and through a cooking oven during the operationthereof. In a cooking range of the usual gas or electric type in whichthe oven is located below the cooking top on which the trying, boilingand other surface cookery is performed, air flow from the interior ofthe oven is accomplished by a stack or flue which communicates betweenan opening at the top of the oven and the space below one of the cookingelements on the cooking top. Such an arrangement in an electric range isdisclosed in Berg U .8. Patent 2,5 25,062, granted October 10, 1950, forVent Structure and assigned to our present assignee. With a ventingsystem of this type it is usual to provide along the lower portion ofthe oven door, areas through which fresh air enters the oven. Analternative oven air inflow system in which is introduced at the lowerrear wall of the oven and is discharged through passages at the topfront of the oven, is disclosed in Swisher U.S. Patent 3,059,089,granted October 16, 1962, for Oven Venting System, and also assigned toour present assignee. )In either case, the greater portion of the rim ofthe open front of the oven cavity is sealed against the door by means ofa flexible gasket.

Because of the high temperatures associated with oven cooking--andparticularly when the oven is used for broilingthe gaskets deterioraterather quickly; that is to say, in two or three years the gasket mayhave lost its elasticity, and inadequately seal against the adjacentdoor surfaces. Replacement of the gasket has previously been beyond thecapabilities of the average owner of the cooking range.

It is therefore a principal object of our invention to provide improvedmeans for mounting an oven within the range structure, said meansaffording facilities whereby the installation or replacement of an ovendoor gasket is greatly simplified.

It is another object of our invention to provide an oven gasket mountingmeans which is adaptable to each of the above noted arrangements foroven ventilation.

It is a further object of our invention to provide an oven mountingsystem in which the oven chamber is supported within the range structureby resilient means, including supporting springs and a gasket ofelastomeric material, whereby the structure defining the oven chamber issecurely supported while providing movement relative to the principalrange structure as one or the other expands or contracts during theoperation thereof.

In a presently preferred embodiment of our invention, a cooking rangehas structure defining a hollow framework within which the oven chamberis housed. Said framework includes rear structural members and frontstructural members, the latter being concealed by a panel or frame whichextends about the open front of the oven chamber. Since this framestructure is visible when the door is opened, it is usually given adecorative finish such as vitreous enamel. The open front of the ovenchamber is defined by a continuous, outwardly extending flange whichoverlies the marginal edges of the frame. At several points about thisflange it is inwardly embossed; said embosses are at the juncture of theflange with the adja- "ice cent oven walls, and may not extend to theoutermost edge of the flange. These embosses are short, and when theoven is in home position within the range structure, seat against thefacing panel or frame. There is, therefore, a flange portion extendingcontinuously about the open front of the oven, and spaced forwardly ofthe frame. The resulting space or channel removably accommodates thebase portion of a gasket having an outwardly and upwardly extending faceportion which resiliently engages the inner surface of the door when thedoor is in closed position. At the rear of each side wall of the oventhere are provided rearwardly extending plates or brackets to which areaflixed coil springs anchored in the range frame structure immediatelyto the rear. These springs draw the oven rearwardly to cause the severalembosses at the front flange thereof to engage with the facing frame andcompress the base portion of the gasket so as frictionally to secure itwithin the channel behind the flange. Because of the limited area ofengagement of the embosses with the frame there is considerable freedomof movement of the oven relative to the frame as one or the otherexpands or contracts during a cooking operation.

An important feature of our invention resides in the ease with which thegasket may be removed and replaced. Removal is merely a matter ofpulling it out of the channel; the installation of a new one isaccomplished by soaping the base portion for lubrication, and thenpressing it home with the fingers. Because of the single thickness ofthe lip portion, it an easy matter to cut away such portions as may benecessary for oven ventilation, using the old gasket :as a pattern.Also, any conflicts within the base portion of the gasket and theembossed areas of the flange may be resolved by cutting away portions ofthe base to insure that the gasket is properly bottomed within thechannel.

Other features and advantages of the invention will best be understoodby the following description of the presently preferred embodiment readin connection with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a side sectional elevation of a cooking range with a sidepanel and the oven insulation removed to show the oven door binging andoven mounting means;

FIG. 2 is a front elevation of the cooking range with the oven dooropen, to show the gasket and the retaining flange therefor;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged side sectional elevation taken through 33 of FIG.2; and

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary front elevation showing a portion of the gasketlip removed for oven ventilation.

In FIG. 1, a cooking range 1 includes a frame structure includingstructural members 2, 3, 4, 5 which define a hollow framework. A cookingtop 6 rests upon member 4; said cooking top has a plurality of cookingunits 7 at the front and rear, as well known. The control panel 8supports the several conventional control switches it). The frontstructure 5 may comprise a four-sided frame-like member having a facingpanel 11 defining an opening within which is accommodated the open-frontoven chamber 12. This oven chamber has a peripherally extending flange14 defining its open front. The flange is in overlying relation to thepanel 1'1, as best shown in FIG. 3. Preferably symmetrically about theflange 14 several inwardly extending embosses 15 are provided; saidembosses are of short length, and preferably do not extend the fullwidth of the flange. When the oven is in home positionthe embosses seatagainst the panel 11.

At the rear of each side wall of the oven there is a plate or bracket16, preferably welded thereto. Each said bracket is arranged to receivean end of a coil spring 17, the other end of which is anchored withinthe rear structural member 2. The springs therefore draw the J oven to ahome position established by the engagement of the respective embosses15, or some of them, with the panel 11. The springs afford freedom forlateral displacement or adjustment of the oven relative to the panel 11as one or the other expands or contracts during a cooking operation.

A door 18 is hinged at the lower corners of the panel 11.Conventionally, such hinging is accomplished by hinge brackets 20extending from the bottom structural members 3. For counterbalancing theoven door and drawing it to a closed position it is usual to provide alink 21 which rides over a. roller 22 in a bracket 23 fixed to themember 3. A counterbalance spring 24 extends between the member 3 andthe link 21. The link is formed with two detent positions such as thatshown at 25. Detent 25 makes it possible to hold the oven door ajar forbroiling operations or the like; the other detent (not shown)establishes the door in a substantially vertical closed position inwhich the peripheral portion 26 of the inner panel 26a of the door is insubstantially parallel spaced relation to the flange 14.

For ventilating the oven we show a ventilation stack of the above notedBerg type in which a tubular stack 27 communicates between the upperrear portion of the oven cavity and the space below a rear cooking unit7.

Referring to FIG. 3, it is seen that the cross sectional structure ofthe flange 14, taken through any one of the embosses 15, provides achannel 30 defined by the flange and the adjacent panel 11. Preferably,there is a shallow bead 32 which enlarges the channel at its base. Saidchannel removably receives the base portion of the gasket 31. Althoughthe precise shape and composition of the gasket are not material so longas basic structural features later described are met, the illustrateddesign is particularly advantageous, for it may be extruded fromsilicone rubber compositions which are extensively used in elevatedtemperature applications. Specifically, the gasket includes acylindrical base 33' which is larger in outside diameter than thechannel space immediately behind the bead 32; preferably, the base 33 istubular to facilitate its compression for passage through the narrowerupper portion of the channel 30. Even when it is in home position withinthe channel, the base 33 is under compression. The gasket is furtherdefined by a single thickness Wall portion which rises from the base 33,follows around the upper edge of the flange 14, as indicated by theinverted U-shaped portion 34, and has an outwardly and upwardly faceportion 35 for substantial surface contact with the door panel portion26. It will be understood that when the door is in an open position, thethen relaxed portion 35 of the gasket is at a smaller angle with thehorizontal than is shown in FIG. 3, although obviously it neverthelessextends in an upward and outward direction so as always to assume theFIG. 3 relation with the door panel as the door is closed.

In FIG. 2 the oven gasketing is arranged for oven ventilation of theillustrated Berg type. Accordingly, the gasket 31 extends about thesides and top of the oven, and gasket 31.1 (which is of identicalconstruction), extends across a portion of the bottom of the oven. Thisleaves areas at the right and left corners of the oven at which air mayenter, for it will be remembered that with the door closed, the innerpanel of the door is spaced from the flange 14. It is understood, ofcourse, that the ventilation requirements of an oven are influenced bythe volume of the oven itself, and that the open corner portionsillustrated in FIG. 2 represent minimum ventilation provisions.

FIG. 4, which is a fragmentary elevation of the top of the oven,illustrates how easily the gasket may be adapted to the Swisher type ofoven ventilation. According to the ventilation requirements, portions ofthe gasket 31 may be cut away. It is preferable to retain continuity ofthe cylindrical base portions 33, and therefore only the face portions35 of the gasket are removed.

It is believed evident from the above description that it is a simplematter for the owner of the range or oven to remove and replace thegasket. No tools other than scissors are required. The new gasket is cutat portions conforming with the original ones. Replacement is a matterof lubricating the base 33 and pressing it home with the fingers.

While there has been described what is at present thought to be thepreferred embodiment of the invention, it will be understood thatvarious modifications may be made therein, and it is intended in thefollowing claims to cover all such modifications as fall within the truespirit and scope of the invention.

We claim:

1. A cooking oven, comprising, in combination, an open-front chamberdefining an oven cavity, a facing panel surrounding said openingsubstantially in the plane thereof, structure rigidly supporting saidfacing panel relative to said chamber, said chamber being formed aboutits open front with an outwardly extending flange having a plurality ofsubstantially uniform, inwardly embossed, areas disposed substantiallysymetrically about said opening, means for drawing said chamberrearwardly of said facing panel whereby said embossed flange areasengage with said panel and the remainder of said flange is substantiallyuniformly spaced forwardly thereof, a door for closing said cavity,means for urging said door to a closed position in which the peripheralportion of the inner surface of said door is in substantially parallelspaced relation to said flange, and a gasket extending between saidpanel and said door inner surface, said gasket having a resilient baseportion frictionally retained between said flange and said panel and aflexible face portion extending outwardly and upwardly beyond saidflange into engagement with said peripheral portion of said doorsurface.

2. A cooking oven, comprising, in combination, framework defining ahollow supporting structure having fixed front and rear members, anopen-front chamber defining an oven cavity, structure providing a facingpanel surrounding said opening substantially in the plane thereof, saidfacing panel being immobilized relative to said front framework members,said chamber being formed about its open front with a flange extendingforwardly of said facing panel and into overlying relation thereto, saidflange having a plurality of inwardly embossed areas dis posed aboutsaid opening, resilient means extending between certain walls of saidchamber and said framework for drawing said chamber rearwardly of saidfacing panel whereby said embossed flange areas engage with said panelto establish a home position of said chamber in which the remainder ofsaid flange is uniformly spaced forwardly of said panel, a door forclosing said cavity, means for urging said door to a closed position inwhich the peripheral portion of the inner surface of said door is insubstantially parallel spaced relation to said flange, and a gasketextending between said panel and said door inner surface portion, saidgasket having a resilient base portion frictionally retained betweensaid flange and said panel and a flexible face portion extendingoutwardly and upwardly beyond said flange into engagement with said doorsurface portion.

3. A cooking oven, comprising, in combination, framework defining ahollow supporting structure having fixed front and rear members, wallmeans providing an openfront chamber defining an oven cavity, structureproviding a facing panel surrounding said opening substantially in theplane thereof, said facing panel comprising a portion of said frontstructural members, said chamber being formed about its open front withan outwardly and laterally extending flange having a plurality ofinwardly embossed areas disposed about said opening, spring meansextending between side walls of said chamber and said rear structuralmembers for drawing said chamber rearwardly of said facing panel wherebysaid embossed flange areas engage with said panel and the remainder ofsaid flange is spaced forwardly thereof, said flange areas and saidspring means comprising the sole supporting means for said chamberwithin said supporting structure, a door, means for hinging said door tosaid supporting structure, means for urging said door to a closedposition in which the peripheral portion of the inner surface of saiddoor is in substantially parallel spaced relation to said flange, and agasket extending between said panel and said door inner surface portion,said gasket having a resilient base portion frictionally retainedbetween said flange and said panel and a flexible face portionconcealing the outermost portion of said flange and thereupon extendingoutwardly and upwardly of said flange into engagement with said doorsurface portion.

4. A cooking oven, comprising, in combination, an open-front chamberdefining an oven cavity, a facing panel surrounding said openingsubstantially in the plane thereof, structure rigidly supporting saidfacing panel relative to said chamber, said chamber being formed aboutits open front With an outwardly extending flange having a plurality ofinwardly embossed areas disposed substantially symmetrically about saidopening, spring means anchored rearwardly of said chamber flange andconnecting with said chamber for drawing said chamber rearwardly of saidfacing panel whereby said embossed flange areas engage with said paneland the remainder of said flange is substantially uniformly spacedforwardly thereof in substantially parallel relation thereto, saidchamber drawing means providing for lateral movement of said chamberrelative to said panel, a door, means for urging said door to a closedposition in which the peripheral portion of the inner surface of saiddoor is in substantially parallel spaced relation to said flange, andoven ventilation means communicating between the interior of said ovenand the outer atmosphere, said ventilation means including a gasketextending between said panel and said door inner surface portion, saidgasket having a resilient base portion frictionally retained betweensaid flange and said panel, and a flexible face portion extendingoutwardly of said flange into engagement with said door inner surfaceportion at laterally spaced intervals about the open front of said oven.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS2,555,841 Clark June 5, 1951 3,038,462 Hurko June 12, 1962 3,066,212Hurko Nov. 27, 1962

1. A COOKING OVEN, COMPRISING, IN COMBINATION, AN OPEN-FRONT CHAMBERDEFINING AN OVEN CAVITY, A FACING PANEL, SURROUNDING SAID OPENINGSUBSTANTIALLY IN THE PLANE THEREOF, STRUCTURE RIGIDILY SUPPORTING SAIDFACING PANEL RELATIVE TO SAID CHAMBER, SAID CHAMBER BEING FORMED ABOUTITS OPEN FRONT WITH AN OUTWARDLY EXTENDING FLANGE HAVING A PLURALITY OFSUBSTANTIALLY UNIFORM, INWARDLY EMBOSSED, REAS DISPOSED SUBSTANTIALLYSYMETRICALLY ABOUT SAID OPENING, MEANS FOR DRAWING SAID CHAMBERREARWARDLY OF SAID FACINGPANEL WHEREBY SAID EMBOSSED FLANGE AREAS ENGAGEWITH SAID PANEL AND THE REMAINDER OF SAID FLANGE IS SUBSTANTIALLYUNIFORMLY SPACED FORWARDLY THERE-